Dear visitors and readers of our blog,
as we have noticed that a part of our readers does not
come from Slovenia, but from different foreign countries, we have decided to
write some of our posts in English. This one will serve as an introduction of
our company, while the following posts will address various topics in
industrial property protection in Slovenia as well as in the European Union.
Who we are and what we do
Patentni biro AF d.o.o. is a family-run intellectual
property law firm established in 1993, making it one of the oldest IP law firms
in Slovenia. The team deals with all services connected with intellectual
property with a strong emphasis on industrial property protection and
enforcement.
1) Patents
and Supplementary protection certificates
- Opinions on patentability
- Prior art searches
- Preparation of patent applications
- Filing of patent applications and patent prosecution in Slovenia
- Filing of PCT applications
- Filing and prosecution of European patent applications (EPO)
- Collaboration with our foreign partners for filing national patent applications and patent prosecution (i.e. USA, Canada, Russia, China, etc.)
- Preparation of responses to official actions issued by IP Offices
- Validation of European patents in Slovenia
- Obtaining supplementary protection certificate (SPC)
2) Trademarks
- Searches in different databases for similar trademarks
- Opinions on trademark suitability
- Preparation and filing of trademark applications in Slovenia, European Union (OHIM) and abroad (international trademark applications at WIPO – Madrid system)
- Collaboration with foreign attorneys for preparation and filing of trademark applications in foreign countries, which are not included in international trademark applications under WIPO (i.e. Canada, UAE, etc.)
- Responding to office actions, provisional or partial refusals
- Responding to oppositions
3) Designs
- Searches in different databases for same or similar designs
- Opinions on design suitability
- Preparation and filing of design applications in Slovenia, European Union (OHIM) and abroad (Hague system, WIPO)
- Preparation and filing of Declarations for design invalidity
4) Maintaining
intellectual property rights in force
- Keeping records for fee and annuity payments
- Conducting procedures for maintaining obtained IP rights
5) (Possible)
Infringements of intellectual property rights
- Regular scan of databases in order to prevent infringements (watching service)
- Counselling regarding appropriate actions when an infringement has been detected
- Preparation and sensing of a warning letter
- Preparation, filing and other procedural steps for patent oppositions
- Preparation, filing and other procedural steps for oppositions against registrations of trademarks or designs
- Comparisons of patents, trademarks or designs
- Opinions on whether a specific product infringes a patent, design or trademark
- Collaborations with law specialists in litigation procedures
6) Help
with marketing, licensing or transfers of intellectual property rights
- Preparation and/or review of licensing agreements
- Preparation and/or review of agreements regarding ownership transfers
- Searching and contacting potential buyers or licensing partners, including negotiations
7) Translations
of patent applications, patent documents, lists of goods and services and other
texts in connection with intellectual property protection
8) Counselling
and preparation of intellectual property protection strategies
Our services are used by numerous Slovenian and
foreign companies, institutes and individuals, which are engaged in different
fields, for example in electronics, mechanical engineering, pharmacy, medicine,
biotechnology, chemistry, environmental sciences, sports, just to name a few.
Our team
Ms. Antonija Flak graduated from the Faculty of Electrical
Engineering, University of Ljubljana. Prior to founding the company Patentni
biro AF d.o.o. she has been working in the Department of Intellectual Property
in Iskra, the largest Slovenian
electronics company. She passed the patent attorney exam at then still common
Institute for Intellectual Property in Belgrade. Later, she obtained the title
European Patent Attorney, and when Slovenia joined the European Union, she also
became an attorney for trademarks and designs before the Office for Harmonization
in the Internal Market (OHIM), which primarily handles protection of trademarks
and designs for the entire area of the European Union. She has more than 30
years of experience in all areas of intellectual property. Antonija Flak is a
member of the Association of Slovenian Patent Attorneys, a member of the
European Patent Institute and a member of the Professional Education Committee
(PEC) at the European Patent Institute.
Mr. Matjaz Vezjak graduated from the Faculty of Economics
and Business, University of Maribor and immediately after graduation started
working in Patentni biro AF d.o.o. He soon passed the trademark and design
attorney exam at the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office, which allows him
to act as a Slovenian and European trademark and design attorney. He is a
member of the Association of Slovenian Patent Attorneys.
Dr. Maja Boric Vezjak has a graduate degree in
microbiology as well as a PhD in microbiology, both obtained at Biotechnical
Faculty, University of Ljubljana. Soon after finishing her PhD she has joined
the Patentni biro AF d.o.o. team and passed the patent attorney exam at the
Slovenian Intellectual Property Office, which allows her to act as a Slovenian
patent attorney and as a Slovenian and European trademark and design attorney. She
is a member of the Association of Slovenian Patent Attorneys.
Office location and working hours
Our working time is flexible, as we often adapt to
needs of our clients. In general, the office is open from 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. on
working days, except Fridays when we usually close at 3 P.M. The office is
closed on national holidays.
The address of our office is:
Kotnikova 32, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Our other contact details are:
T +386 1 43 00 335
F +386 1 43 00 336
M +386 41 722 566 (Antonija Flak)
+386 40 462
729 (Matjaz Vezjak)
+386 40 856
342 (Maja Boric Vezjak)
E antonija.flak@patentni-biro-af.si
info@patentni-biro-af.si
maja@patentni-biro-af.si
If you have any questions or concerns regarding
protection of your intellectual property in Slovenia or in the European Union,
we invite you to connect with us using any of above given contacts. We will be
glad to help!
